The defending Eastern Conference champion Carolina Hurricanes host the Tampa Bay Lightning at the RBC Center in a meeting of the top two teams in the Southeast Division. It is the eighth game of a franchise-record nine-game homestand for Carolina. The Hurricanes earned a 1-1 tie with Phildelphia on Friday, and have earned at least one point in each of their last nine games (5-0-3-1). Carolina has lost in regulation just once in its last 12 games (7-1-3-1), all but two of which have come against teams that participated in the 2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Rod Brind’Amour played in his 1000th career NHL game on Friday against Philadelphia. Brind’Amour became the 181st player in NHL history to reach the milestone and the third player to reach 1,000 games while playing for the franchise (Brian Propp on March 2, 1994 and Glen Wesley on Jan. 20, 2001). Hurricanes netminder Kevin Weekes is 7-1-3 in his last 11 games with a goals against average of 1.51 (17g, 677 min.) and a save percentage of .950 (17G, 340 SA).

CAROLINA NOTES
The Hurricanes are 4-0-2-1 after seven games of a franchise-record nine-game homestand. The leading scorer on the current homestand is Rod Brind’Amour (2g, 5a). Carolina’s penalty kill has been successful in 83-of-95 (87.4%) of shorthanded situations this season and was ranked fourth in the NHL through games of Nov. 15. Since the Southeast Division was created, Carolina has a 41-17-20-1 record in 79 games against the Washington Capitals, Atlanta Thrashers, Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.

CAROLINA AT HOME: 6-2-3-1CAROLINA ON THE ROAD: 2-2-0-1CAROLINA ON THE POWER PLAY: 17-of-107 (15.9%)CAROLINA SHORTHANDED: 83-of-95 (87.4%)

CAROLINA INJURY UPDATEJosef Vasicek missed the game vs. Philadelphia (11/15) due to back spasms. He is day-to-day.
Sami Kapanen missed the game vs. Philadelphia (11/15) due to a groin injury. He is day-to-day.

CAROLINA / TAMPA BAY NOTES
The Carolina Hurricanes and the Tampa Bay Lightning meet tonight for the second of five games this season. The Lightning and Hurricanes will meet once more in Tampa and twice more in Raleigh during the 2002-03 season. The Lightning won the two teams’ first matchup this season 5-1 at the St. Pete Times Forum on Oct. 12.
The Hurricanes won the regular season series last season against the Lightning with a 3-2-0 record. Carolina was 1-1-0 at home against Tampa Bay, falling to the Lightning 4-0 on Nov. 25, 2001 and defeating Tampa Bay 4-2 on April 10, 2002 to clinch the Southeast Division title. The Hurricanes were 2-1-0 in Tampa, earning wins on Dec. 27 (3-2) and Jan. 30 (3-1) and falling 2-0 on Nov. 17. Carolina is 23-14-5-0 all-time against the Lightning, with a 15-3-3-0 record at home and an 8-11-3-0 record in Tampa.

LIGHTNING NOTES
The Lightning defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-2 on Friday night and currently sit atop the Southeast Division and second in the Eastern Conference with 23 points. Lightning forward Martin St. Louis is tied for second in the NHL in scoring with 23 points (11g, 12a) and is tied for first in goals with 11.